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The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran

by: Christoph Luxenberg

Publication date: 2009

Topics: The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran, Quran, Koran, Decoding of the Language of the Koran

Collection: opensource

Language: English

The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran: A Contribution to the Decoding of the Language of the Koran

Hardcover – Apr 21 2009

by Christoph Luxenberg (Author)

Throughout its history the Koran has presented problems of interpretation. Some scholars estimate that at least a quarter of the text is obscure in meaning, not only for Western translators but even native Arabic speakers, who struggle with the archaic vocabulary that is no longer used in modern Arabic.

In this in-depth study of the language of the Koran, scholar Christoph Luxenberg dispels much of the mystery surrounding numerous hitherto unclear passages. The key, as Luxenberg shows exhaustively, is to understand that Aramaic--the language of most Middle Eastern Jews and Christians of the pre-Islamic era--had a pervasive influence on the development of the Arabic text of the Koran. For a thousand years preceding the advent of Islam, Aramaic (or Syriac as it was sometimes called) was the lingua franca of many parts of the Near East. It was the native language of the first Christian evangelists and the main liturgical language of the early Christian churches from Syria to Iran.

Based on this historical context and a profound knowledge of Semitic languages, Luxenberg clarifies many thorny textual puzzles. Perhaps his most interesting argument is that the passage often translated as referring to the "virgins" that are believed to greet the departed faithful in paradise was long ago misunderstood. In fact, knowledge of ancient Christian hymns in Aramaic suggests that the word in question refers to "grapes" that the departed will enjoy in a paradisiacal garden. Luxenberg discusses many other similar fascinating instances where Aramaic vocabulary and concepts influenced the text of the Koran

This highly erudite work makes a significant contribution to the study of the Koran and the history of Islamic origins.

Addeddate: 2016-06-17 03:37:59

Identifier: ChristophLuxenberg

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Reviewer: amorshcute - - July 11, 2019
Subject: the both files uploaded of this jewel are complementary

inspired by the past reviews posted here, i must say that the book1 file is incomplete, it lacks of many pages (like the 207 and the 214, for example, come on, it is pretty simple to notice that, just compare the number of pages the table of contents says the book has with the number of pages the pdf says it has -which should be more pages than the mentioned in the table of contents- and then you will realize that a lot of pages are missing),
on the other hand, the Christoph Luxenberg file has most of the mere content pages but it lacks the page that comprises page 14 and page 15, also the first page of the table of contents section is missing, the book1 file has all the pages that the Christoph Luxenberg lacks of, so we can inquire that the book1 file was uploaded for providing the missing pages that the Christoph Luxenberg file devoids of, both files are complementary and summed make up the whole thing

i am very grateful to whoever that uploaded this because this a very important work that can help to complete the religious (and hence, socio-political) panorama of the middle east, those are the kind of works that help us build a better and peaceful civilization for everyone

¡Thank you very much! n.n

Reviewer: stimoceiver - - January 31, 2019
Subject: Page 207 missing

The other reviewer is correct. Page 207 is missing from the "PDF with Text" version of this document.

Reviewer: sisyphe51 - - September 3, 2017
Subject: about pages not scanned

Please reviews scanned text in the file"Christoph luxemberg": the page207 is not scanned ;also in the second file of this book, the first page"contents" ils not scanned. Please ,want also to understand why in PDF,There are 2 files for the same book ? Thanks " et bravo! "

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